Redson Read online

  Red’s eyebrows arched.

  “His digestive tract doesn’t work the way it did when he was human, after all the years of not eating food. He can’t pee or go number two,” she explained.

  “Why would he even bother to eat food then?”

  “To fool humans.”

  “But why care that much? He could just wipe their memories if they get suspicious of his nature.”

  She hesitated, taking the plate and carrying it to the table. Red had set out silverware and extra butter. He’d even placed two sodas down so they each had a drink. He followed her to the table with his own plate.

  “Is it a secret?”

  She held his gaze. “Remember that guy I said I dated? The cheater? He wanted to meet my so-called ‘brother’ while we were together.” She shrugged. “He insisted on us all having dinner together. I couldn’t exactly tell him the truth. It’s not something you just drop on someone. ‘Oh, by the way, that’s actually my grandpa, and don’t bleed around him unless you want to risk him possibly biting you because he’s a Vamp.’” She smiled to soften the sarcastic words. “Grandpa had dinner with us at a restaurant to avoid suspicion of anything being off in our family.”

  Red gripped his knife. “I see.”

  “There were a few other times. I told you I was in band during high school. Grandpa would go to the night events to see us perform. Sometimes, afterward, all us kids would go out for pizza. There were only so many times he could claim to have already eaten dinner before it became weird. He’d eat a slice of pizza to fit in. Some of the divorced or single mothers paid way too much attention to him. He’s got that Vamp draw.”

  “Vamp draw?”

  “He’s a good-looking man to start with, but he also gives off this sense of power that some women are fascinated by. He tries to tamp down his allure but he can’t help it. I tease him about being a chick magnet. They do seem to love him.”

  “Did he fool the man you were dating?”

  “Yes. He didn’t suspect a thing. Grandpa was kind of an ass to him though. He didn’t want to be invited to more dinners. We thought it was a good plan.”

  “What if that relationship had grown serious?”

  “It didn’t. The jerk cheated on me, remember?”

  Red narrowed his eyes, staring at her. “But what if the human had been faithful to you, and the relationship had grown very serious? Would you have told him the truth?”

  “I never got the chance to find out.”

  “I’m curious, Emma. Answer the question. What would you have done if you’d married a human? You and your grandfather had to have had that discussion at some point.”

  She cut the steak but hesitated to take a bite. “Thomas would have figured something was off in time. I age slowly. You can say it’s good genes for only so long before they start to become suspicious. I guess it would have depended on how he took the truth. Grandpa would have had to wipe his mind if he freaked out.”

  “So you did discuss it.”

  “Yes.”

  “Was your grandfather willing to allow you to marry?”

  That question surprised her. “Why wouldn’t he?”

  “You’re his nest.”

  “I’m his granddaughter.”

  “You belong to him. You said it yourself. And he’s an old Vampire.”

  “He’s a modern thinker. He hates the ancient ones who refuse to change with the times. He believes it’s stupid to hold on to the past and not conform as the world progresses.”

  Red ate his food.

  Emma focused on her own plate. “This is really good. Thank you.”

  Red nodded. “You’re welcome. You don’t think your grandfather would stop you from being with someone if you wanted to make a lifelong commitment?”

  “He wants me to be happy.”

  “I can’t see him willingly giving you up.”

  “I’ll still be part of his life if I ever get married. I just won’t live with him anymore. Grandpa could finally find a companion…I know he’s lonely. I wouldn’t be under his roof, which means my neck would be safe from his Vampy lover.”

  “How does that work? Don’t Vamps get jealous when their companions feed on others?”

  “I don’t know. He’s never had a serious lover since he rescued and raised me.” She took a sip of her drink. “I can’t imagine his girlfriend would enjoy watching him bite other women. I guess they could feed off each other. Or he could only bite men and she could only bite other women. That wouldn’t be so bad.”

  “Some Vampires get turned on when they bite, regardless of which sex they’re feeding from.”

  “I’m aware. Grandpa’s only drawn to women though. We had discussions about Eduardo many times. He thinks that might be why he got so bent out of shape when Grandpa left the nest with me. Eduardo didn’t just lose his master, but someone he wanted to become a companion to. Grandpa wasn’t down with that.”

  Red chuckled. “I see.”

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing.”

  She scowled at him. “What? Just spit it out.”

  “Down with that? That was kind of funny.”

  “No pun intended. Geez.” She grinned.

  “Did Eduardo confess his love or something?”

  “No, but Eduardo prefers to bite men, and Grandpa often caught him having sex with his donors. Eduardo even fooled a couple into thinking it was a woman they were screwing. Grandpa gave him a stern talking to about it.”

  “Malachi never took sex from his victims?”

  “Donors—and no, not unless they showed interest in sex before he bit them. He wouldn’t take someone’s free will like that. He does have morals. Eduardo didn’t.”

  Red didn’t look convinced.

  Emma sighed. “Have you ever heard of Vampire brides?”

  “Is that different from a companion?”

  “Yes. A companion is someone you chose to be with. Your partner. A bride is akin to a blood slave. They are taken and held against their will, forced to follow orders. The master who made my grandfather collected them. He had almost a dozen. It really pissed my grandfather off.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  She stopped eating, placing her silverware down. “His name was Palao. He was a piece of shit who stole women regardless of whether they were already married or had children. He’d sneak into their homes at night if they caught his interest and kill their families in front of them. They became his slaves. He liked to break their minds and spirits.”

  She shivered, horrified just thinking about it. “Palao kept them locked up unless he needed to use them. He’d dress them as prostitutes and throw parties for rich men in the area. He’d let those men have sex with his brides, before stealing money, jewelry, or whatever else he wanted. They’d go home only remembering having great sex and clueless about how they’d been ripped off.”

  Red softly growled.

  “It wasn’t a treat for the brides either. He pimped them out for blood and money. They weren’t given a choice. Occasionally one would escape and stake herself to the ground to burn when the sun rose. Some watched that monster kill their children and husbands, helpless and stuck in that hell. If a bride pissed Palao off or didn’t do what he demanded, he’d chain her to a wall and let the others watch her starve until she became raving mad from the pain, her skin stretching over her bones like a living skeleton.”

  Emma swallowed a lump of emotion that nearly choked her. “My grandpa said they’d suffer until they finally dried out and died from having no blood at all. He thought once they were free they might lose some of the madness created by the master. Recover. It didn’t work. He had to end their suffering.”

  “Your grandfather doesn’t have any brides?”

  “Hell no! He’d never do that to someone. Ever. My grandfather watched what was done to those brides until he hated his own master. Palao’s death was the best thing that could have happened to the nest. Grandpa doesn’t make soldiers eithe